Have never yet had hemodialysis. Saw a YouTube vid where the poor lady looked like she had a garden hose under her skin. I guess that it was what I further read about a fistula making the vein bigger for easier access by needles. Does it at least shrink back some soon after treatment is done or does one walk around forever with people staring at them when they wear short-sleeved shirts?

Thank you. It's not that I go around staring at people's arms but one would think that, with all the thousands of people on hemo, I'd have seen at least ONE with a garden hose but I haven't. Nonetheless, I hope I can convince my nephrologist to let me do the"catheter in the chest" thing.

from my expierence they will only use the catheter until your arm access heals up and is ready for use caths are prone to infection etcleastways that what ive been led to believe but by all means consult with your nephrologist

I haven't known of any shrinking but I have seen them expand to very large size and have to be surgically removed. This perhaps is cause by being pierced by needles for too many years. I've been told that they don't last indefinitely and have known several people who had to have them redone.